Which of the following is a characteristic of an index fossil?
A good index fossil is one with four characteristics: it is distinctive, widespread, abundant, and limited in geologic time.
What are 3 characteristics of an index fossil?
A useful index fossil must be distinctive or easily recognizable, abundant, and have a wide geographic distribution and a short range through time.
What are the characteristics of an index fossil quizlet?
The four main characteristics that make a fossil a good index fossil are that the fossil is abundant, widespread, distintive and it has to be limited in geologic time.
What is not a good index fossil?
The shorter time period a species lived, the better an index it is. Fossils that are found in many rock layers, therefore living long periods of time, do not qualify as index fossils.
What is an index fossil quizlet?
Index Fossil. a fossil known to have lived in a particular geologic age that can be used to date the rock layer in which it is found. Order of Rock Layers.
What is an index fossil example?
There are some types of index fossils which include Ammonites, Brachiopods, Graptolites, Nanofossils and Trilobites. Ammonites: The fossil of ancient marine animals is said to be known as an ammonite index fossil. During the Mesozoic era, they were common (245 to 65 million years ago ).
What describes an index fossil?
Definition of index fossil : a fossil usually with a narrow time range and wide spatial distribution that is used in the identification of related geologic formations.
What do index fossils reveal?
Index fossils represent species that lived for a short period of time but over a wide geographic range. Index fossils can help determine the relative ages of rock layers and their fossils.
What is one example of an index fossil quizlet?
Example, if a trilobite is found in a particular rock layer, it can be compared with trilobites from other layers to estimate the age of the layer in which it was found. When an index fossil is found: The age of the rocks it is preserved in can be determined.
Which fossil is considered an index fossil?
An index fossil allows a scientist to determine the age of the rock it is in. Trilobite fossils, as shown in Figure, are common index fossils. Trilobites were widespread marine animals. They lived between 500 and 600 million years ago.
Which of the following are examples of index fossils?
There are some types of index fossils which include Ammonites, Brachiopods, Graptolites, Nanofossils and Trilobites.